Rolls Around the World 2007: 30 Chongqing to Chengdu, China

Friday, October 12, 2007

A guide and driver picked us up for the 4½-hour drive on 4-lane expressway to the capital of Sichuan Province, Chengdu. We left Chongqing, claimed to be the foggiest city in the world, in rain and fog. They say there are an average of 106 foggy days each year, with some parts of the city recording over 200, which slows already bad traffic to a crawl.

We didn't know about the high-speed train, but it would have been a better option for this transfer. Even with three stops it makes the trip to Chengdu in 3½ hours and the driver and guide would not have had to make a return trip. The rain stopped after we crossed a range of high hills and descended into flat countryside shortly before reaching Chengdu, a city of 11 million people.

We were dropped at the very comfortable, centrally located, Sofitel Wanda Chengdu. Once settled we set out to explore the area, walking along narrow streets filled with pet stores, seafood vendors and eventually multi-storied bazaars with dozens of small shops crowding each side of tiny passageways. When we were tired we hired an older lady with a bicycle rickshaw to take us back to the hotel, where, for the first time in a long while, dinner was beer and perfect hamburgers!

Thursday, October 11, 2007

We were taken by a local driver and guide, Grace, to the Panda Breeding Research Base. This is a first class facility where pandas are cared for and bred. There were various areas of forest, some with man made platforms, where Giant Panda's live. We were able to get fairly close to several of them as they reclining on their backs eating bamboo, something they do for most of the day. Others were in trees, or sleeping on platforms.

There are only about 1,300 pandas left in the world, with the majority living wild in panda reserves in Sichuan Province. The gestation period is surprisingly varied - it can be from 80 to 180 days, and if a panda has twins she will look after only one of them. The cub will stay with its mother 1½ years. Although the panda has existed for 8 million years, it would die out if it were not for breeding programs. They used to be carnivores, but somewhere along its historic path it evolved to vegetarian, specializing in the consumption of bamboo. They live to about 15 years old in the wild, and up to 27 years old in the research area. Since the breeding program began the total number of pandas had increased by about 300.

There were also enclosures for the Red Panda. These are much smaller, and show more clearly the connection of pandas to the raccoon family, with their striped tails and a raccoon like face, except the red panda has a shorter nose.

Unfortunately, we had to cut our visit short, as Marilynn's ear was bothering her. The hotel had given us a brochure for a multi-lingual medical clinic called Global Doctor. There was some difficulty in locating it, but they were very efficient and well equipped. The doctor fished a blockage of cotton and wax the size of my thumbnail out of her ear, and told her there was a deeper blockage that he hoped drops would loosen. It continued to bother her for the rest of the trip, but to a lesser degree.

Lunch was at a reasonable tour bus restaurant before going to Wenshu Temple. It was a peaceful oasis in an area of shops in restored traditional buildings, which Marilynn explored after we toured the temple. She fell in love with a large brass fertility Buddha that she spent the rest of the trip regretting not having purchased. Back at the hotel it was a light dinner in the lounge.

Friday, October 12, 2007

Today we drove 60 km (37 mile) to the holy Taoist Mount Qingcheng in a cold drizzle. This is the area of the Du Jiang Tan irrigation system, built 2,300 years ago for irrigation and flood control and still in use today. There was a large, old temple up many stairs (of course) above the parking area at the foot of the mountain. It was quite mysterious looking in the cloud and fog. The religion of China was Taoism before Buddhism took hold, then the two merged to a large degree

After exploring the temple and purchasing cheap rain capes we started the serious trek up hundreds of stairs to Moon City Lake. Every few hundred steps there was a pagoda with benches. While resting in one of these we were approached by a couple of young entrepreneurs with an uncovered sedan chair, who offered to carry me the rest of the way up and back down the mountain for 300 Yuan ($40). I declined, but it answered the question of how physically handicapped people might make it up the mountain.

At the lake we boarded an ornate, covered cable ferry for the short crossing to where a 950-meter (3,116 ft) chair lift took us into dense cloud at 1,100 meters (3,608 ft) above sea level and 335 meters (1,100 ft) above the parking lot. We had a snack from a vendor with a portable BBQ, and then I suggested hot tea at a nearby teahouse to thaw us out a bit. The choice in tea was top grade at 50 Yuan ($6.75) per cup, or the lower grade at 40 (I thought Grace said 14) Yuan ($5.40) per cup. We chose the latter. To my taste it was bloody awful, but at least it was hot.

The decision not to climb another half hour of stairs through dense cloud was not a difficult one - we chose to make the cold ride back down. Before we left, Grace and Marilynn climbed more stairs to another temple, but my legs had quit so I waited at the chair lift. Once down we drove to a small restaurant nearby for lunch before returning to the hotel, where I went for a Chinese massage. It was great, except that her enthusiasm for digging her knees into my back left me somewhat sore. It was the first time I've had a massage fully clothed, as well.

Saturday, October 13, 2007

There was no rain today, but it was cloudy and cool. Apparently cloudy is normal in Chengdu; there are few sunny days. The locals joke that if the sun comes out, dogs bark at it, as they don't know what it is. It took two hours to cover the 160 km (100 mi) to Leshan, population 1,100,000, where the UNESCO registered giant Buddha is located in a 27 sq. km park, along with various temples, pagodas and gardens.

The Maitreya Buddha, or happy Buddha, is said to be the largest sitting Buddha in the world At one time vicious currents and whirlpools killed many fishermen near a high cliff where three good sized rivers come together. Monk Hai Tou hoped that a Buddha statue would calm the spirits of the river, so in 713 he began raising funds for construction. Greedy government officials tried to take the money, but he refused saying he would prefer to lose his eyes. He then proceeded to gouge out his own eyes, which sent the government people fleeing in terror. He died when the Buddha was half completed, but the empress heard of the project and financed it to completion in 803. Surprisingly, it did drastically reduce deaths among fishermen, as the tonnes of rock carved out of the cliff filled the most dangerous area of the river, making it safer for navigation.

The statue is 71 meters (233 ft) high. Its fingers are 3 meters (11 ft) long and 100 people could sit on top of a 26 meter (85 ft) instep. A 28-meter (92 ft) shoulder is big enough for a basketball court. The 7-meter (23 ft) attached ears are made of wood. There are stairs carved in the cliff down one side of the statue and up the other, but it is impossible to see the whole statue from shore. We boarded a boat to cruise down the river and then nose back into the current, maintaining a stationary position just out from the Buddha for the best view.

We returned to the hotel where the guide and driver waited for us to wash up before going to a large teahouse famous for the best Chinese opera in Chengdu. We were seated in comfortable bamboo chairs and tea was served. Additional hot water was added by women with kettles having a spout about 1½ meters (5 ft) long, allowing them to top up cups several chairs in from the aisle. The hour and a half show consisted of singers, dancers, fire blowing and some amazing musicians. It was spectacular.

Dinner was a superb meal of lamb - shank for Marilynn and chops for me, in the hotel's Western Restaurant. We would rate the Sofitel in Chengdu best of the hotels on this trip. The staff are well trained, courteous and meet every request with prompt service. The bed, room and hotel facilities are all excellent, and the food first class.

Tomorrow we fly to Guilin to explore that part of southern China.